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` Patented June 24, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL F. GENNER' OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

f si N'sUEATI N e. -J el NT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of ,Leers Patent No. 430,846, dated une 24,1890.

Application letl November 23,

889. Serial No. 331,290. (No model.)

To LIZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL F. GENNERT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Joints and Couplings forFixtures for Electric Lighting, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention appertains to fixtures for gas or electric lighting, andrelates more espeeially to the joint connecting a fixture to the nippleof a ceiling supply-pipe or support, my object being to provide a jointwhich will be free to move in any direction to a suflicient extent toallow the fixture to he swung in and to maintain a vertical position,even though the nipple should project .at considerable inclination fromthe vertical, or inthe case where said nipple changes direction ofprojection, as is the case with nipples in the ceilings of the cabins ofships or steamboats, and to provide such a movable joint with means forpreventing it from swiveling and with proper insulation, so as to makeit suitable for use on combined gas andv electriclight fixtures.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts whereby I accomplish the aforesaid objects, as is hereinafterdescribed, and particularized in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 shows an elevation partly broken to a central section. Fig. 2shows a top view of Fig. l with part of the nuts and insulation removed.Fig. 3V shews a horizontal section of Fig. l on the plane l 2. Fig. etshows an elevation, partly in central scction, of a moditied form of myinvention. Fig.

`5 shows a top view of Fig. ithpar pf the annular nut and insulationremoved. Fig. G shows a horizontal section of Figi-lc on the plane 3 4.Fig. 7 shows a vertical central sec tion.

Like letters designate like parts in all the figures.

The nipple A, having a screw-thread or other suitable means ofconnection to a gas or electric-light ixture, is made with asemiball-shapcd portion d, adapted to lit freely but snugly andgas-tight in the semi-spherical chamber of a casing B, which isdetachably joined to another nipple C, that has a screwthread or othersuitable means ot connection to a nipple projecting from a line otsupplypipe. The nipple A is diminished in size just below thesemi-ball-shaped portion d., so as to form a neck, which passes throughthe lower end of the casing B through an openin g sufficiently large indiameter to allow it considerable movement. Lugs Gr G project downwardfrom the lower end of this casing, and the spaces between these lugs areadapted to receive projections g g of any suitable form, which areattached to the nipple A in such a position that the projections of thenipple will engage with the lugs of the casing and prevent thc swivelingof the joint, but not prevent movement otherwisc, the purpose being toprotect any connected electric conductors from being twisted by theaccidental turning ot the joint.

The casing ll may be joined to the nipple C by any suitable meansWithout departing from my invention; but I prefer to constitute of itand the nipple an insulated coupling by means of the annular flanges l)and c, the flange l) being made to project from the upper end of thecasing A, and the flange c to project from the lower end of the nippleC.

A WasherD of insulating materialis placed between them, and anotherwasher ot' insulating material is placed on the top of the lian ge c,and then bolts F F are passed through both flanges and washers, suitablebolt-holes being provided in each. These bolts are screwed'up tight intothe nuts or annular nut-plate ff, and thus the nipple (C and oasin g Aare secured together. The belt-holes in the liange c are made muchlarger than the diameter of the bolts, and the bolts being passedcentrally through them a space ris IOO the bolt-holes of the flange c.The insulatn ing-Washer D, I make with the two cylindrical flanges I-Iand h joining its periphery, the fiange H extending upward to cover thepcriphery of the metal flange c, and the fiange h extending downward tocover the periphery of the metal flange b, the purpose being to preventcontacting of the said flanges with any outside part, such as the canopysometimes used to cover the joint of a fixture.

I prefer to make the projections g g detachable, as the screw-pins shownin Fic. l, or adjustable, as shown in Fig. 4, in which a band K, havingthe projections g g, encircles thc ijple e. arl is adapted to adjustmentthereon. It is provided with suitable means for securing'it in fixedposition, so its lugswill engage the lugs G G on the casing; but it maybe desirable when putting up a fixture to turn the nipple C withoutturning the whole fixture. In such case the detachable or adjustableprojections can be disengagedfrom the lugs, and this will allowthe jointto turn till the nipple Gis screwed to its place, whereupon saidprojections can .be again fixed in position to engage the lugs.

In cases where a ground-current of electricity is needed or desirable aninsulated joint is not needed; but it is obvions that an an ti-swivelingball-and-socket joint is useful and important on any pendent fixture,even, though it has but one electric conducting wire. I will thereforemake this part of my invention the sole subject ot' one claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1` Tr fixtures .or gas and electric lighting, a ban-and-socket jointconsisting of a nipple A, havingthe semi-ball-shaped portion a, and

provided with projections g g, which are external to the casing formingthe socket, in conn bination with the casing forming the socket for saidse1ni-ballshaped portion a, and provided with lugs G G, which areadapted to engage with the said external projections g g on said nipple,in the manner and for the purpose set forth. t

2. In fixtures for gas and electric lighting, an insulated jointconsisting of the nipple C, having the iiangc c, the casing I3,constituting the socket of a ball-and-socket joint, having the fiange band the lugs G, the intervening washerof insulatingmaterial D, thetopwasher of insulating material e, and the bolts ff, in

' combination with a ball-and-socket joint consisting of the said casingB, the semi-ball a, fit-ted therein, as `described, the projections g,and the nipplq A, said elements being arranged in the manner and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In fixtures for gas or electric lighting, an insulated jointconsisting of a nipple, as C, having the external angular portion, as J,and provided with a flange c, having boltholcs adapted to form annularspaces around the bolts, bolts, asf, having suitable nuts, a wash er ofinsulating material, as e, having an angular central opening adapted tofit 011 the por tion J of the nipple C and provided with boltholes thatfit closely to the bolts, and an intermediate Washer of insulatingmaterial, as (hin combination with a flange, as b, having bolt-holes andprovided with suitable means to attach a gas or electric fixture, saidelements being arranged in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4'. In fixtures for gas and electric lighting, a nipple C, adapted forattachment to gas pipe and having the flange c, a casing B, hav ing theflange Z), a nipple A, suitably attached to said casing B and adaptedfor attachment to gas-pipe, bolts F F, for securing said flanges c and btogether, and a Washer of insulating material having an integralcylindrical fiange, which serves to cover thc peripheral surfaces ofsaid flanges c and l), as and for the purpose set forth.

. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmy naine, in prcsence of two witnesses, this 22d day of November, 1889.

EMIL li. (HCNN lill't'l. lVitnesses:

F. W. BELMoN'r, J. F. CUNNINGHAM.

